Last year, Mark thought he had finally found his big break. A “friend” he met online introduced him to a crypto investment platform that promised steady, guaranteed returns. The website looked professional, complete with charts, testimonials, and even a dashboard...

Last Tuesday, Linda was working on her laptop when a bright red pop-up filled the screen. It blared: “Your computer is infected! Call Microsoft immediately!” The message even had a toll-free number and an official-looking logo. Panicked, she dialed. Within seconds, a...